To find out how much attitudes about finances differ by age, we asked Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X, Baby Boomer and Silent Generation respondents about their saving strategies and debt decisions. It turns out that no matter the age, most of us need sound financial advice.

The Demand Institute projects that consumers in China will spend $56 trillion over the next decade. But China is a sprawling region and spending patterns will vary greatly. So which consumers should companies focus on?

We asked Millennials, Generation Xers and Baby Boomers around the world to tell us how satisfied they are with everything about their jobs. Across a sample of respondents from 60 countries who said they are currently employed, satisfaction levels highlight workplace trends worth paying attention to.

Capturing a part of the $56 trillion in consumer spending that The Demand Institute projects will take place in China over the next decade will depend on deep insight into the country’s highly varied urban landscape.

With a wide array of pastimes available, respondents in a recent Nielsen global survey were asked to select their top three spare-time activities. While certain activities skew younger than older and vice versa, if you think technology-driven younger people don’t read anymore, think again.

To better understand how younger respondents view the importance of dietary considerations, we asked six Millennials from different parts of the globe to explain how their eating habits differ from those of their parents.

The convenience offering in Asia is more relevant now than ever. But convenience stores of the future will be more than a place to pick up a beverage or quick meal. Convenience will become a way of life, and the convenience store will be a physical delivery point for an array of needs driven by the click of a mouse.

China’s economy is shifting, and many companies’ current strategies for China are becoming outdated. Louise Keely, president of the Demand Institute and a senior vice president at Nielsen, takes a look.

For multinationals and other companies looking for opportunity in China, look no further than to connected spenders, a young, affluent and connected group eager to engage with brands and their conversations.

Our outlook on life is often shared with others who have similar traits—and age is no exception. But many of today’s consumers are bucking yesterday’s preconceived generational notions. In fact, many older people are embracing a more technology-driven world, and sizeable numbers of younger people are turning to more traditional values.

U.S. consumer confidence jumped 18 index points in the third quarter of 2015 to a score of 119 after a six-point decline in the previous quarter. The score marked the biggest quarterly increase and the highest index for the country in Nielsen’s 10-year consumer confidence history.

Our perception about personal finances is one factor that contributes to our confidence in the economy, which can impact our willingness to spend and save. Mirroring the rise in global consumer confidence in the third quarter, immediate spending intentions also increased, rising to 43%, up from a low of 30% in 2008 during the Great Recession.

Despite the fact that Millennials are coming of age in one of the most difficult economic climates in the past 100 years, a recent Nielsen global online study found that they continue to be most willing to pay extra for sustainable offerings—almost three-out-of-four respondents in the latest findings, up from approximately half in 2014.

Global consumer confidence increased three index points in the third quarter to 99. Optimistic sentiment for job prospects, personal finances and spending intentions increased in nearly half of all measured markets, but uneven growth continues around the world as confidence stabilizes or grows in many advanced economies and declines in many emerging markets.

In 1990, 57% of Southeast Asia was in poverty and access to daily necessities one could afford was not to be taken for granted. Today, so much has changed that a new niche at the high end of the affordability spectrum has emerged to fan the aspirations of consumers – premiumization.

As concerns about the environment and corporate sustainability continue to build momentum around the world, understanding the connection between sentiment and purchasing actions has never been more important. Have companies risen to meet consumer expectations?

Reaching your audience is an important component of any ad campaign, but what good is ad reach if it doesn’t resonate with the audience? Effective campaigns require more than identifying the right channel for reaching consumers. It’s also about delivering the right message.

Many FMCG sales teams in emerging markets are lacking in knowledge about the traditional trade landscape. And if you don’t know the where, what and how of your market, how likely is your strategy to be successful?

Whether watching TV, checking emails, or flipping through a magazine, it seems like everywhere we look there’s an opportunity for advertisers to connect with us, earn our trust and deliver their message. So has all this media proliferation watered down the resonance of their messages?

In a world of choice, social responsibility is increasingly a factor for purchasing one product over another. In fact, 66% of respondents say they’re willing to pay more for products and services that come from companies who are committed to positive social and environmental impact.

The most credible advertising comes straight from the people we know and trust. And it should come as no surprise that more than eight-in-10 global respondents (83%) say they completely or somewhat trust the recommendations of friends and family.

For both baby food and diaper brands, 70% of global respondents say they have switched brands. Their reasons for switching baby food, however, are somewhat different than their reasons for switching diapers.

When it comes to learning about which diapers are best, 44% of global respondents go direct to the people they know and trust for recommendations, which is the top source of information in every region.

The growth of China's e-commerce sales has outpaced that of the U.S.—growing at a rate of 52% year-over-year in 2014 versus 17% for the U.S. With rapid growth increasing the competitors in this space, however, how can retailers win?

Wall Street is concerned that increasing numbers of cable subscribers are cord-cutting and investors are worried that media companies aren’t earning enough from SVOD platforms to compensate. So do the worries have merit?

When it comes to keeping babies comfortable and clean, diapers are a top priority for parents—and one for which they spare no expense. In fact, Nielsen estimates diaper sales around the world will exceed $29 billion in 2015.

Becoming a parent can be a daunting endeavor, full of many “firsts.” But before first words and steps, come first foods. So who do new parents turn to most for advice about the best baby food/formula to buy for the first time? While friends and family rank highest, consumers don’t just rely on their circles for guidance.

In China, more than 46% of consumers are actively making purchases via the web, well above the global average of 25%. But China isn’t just the largest market for e-commerce. It’s also one of the most evolved, and so are its consumers.

Digital is gaining momentum, which has many clients asking: Should I move to an all-digital plan? “All digital” is a bold move for any marketer, with multiple factors to consider. But before you take the plunge, answer these 10 key questions.

From the pureed food on spoons to the formula in bottles, you’d be hard pressed to find a parent who didn’t want the best for their baby. And they're willing to spend for it. But for baby care manufacturers, there’s plenty at stake in the battle for baby bucks.

While consumer confidence declined in 10 of 14 Asia-Pacific markets, the region still leads all global regions with an index score of 107. Among the four markets that improved from the previous quarter, the Philippines showed the biggest quarterly country-level confidence increase of seven index points, rising to a score of 122—the country’s highest level on record.

The slowing pace of Chinese economic growth underscores the country’s need to transition from an investment- and export-led growth model to one powered by consumption. But how long will that transition take? The answer is crucial to companies looking to ride what will eventually be the next extraordinary surge in consumer spending in China.

The way we view the economy and what’s in our wallets can have a direct impact on our willingness to spend and save. As such, it’s no surprise that changes in consumer confidence can influence the actions consumers say they take to save on household expenses. And as global consumer confidence declined in Q2, saving strategies continued to permeate the mindset of consumers around the world.

Global consumer confidence declined one index point in the second quarter to a score of 96. Regionally, confidence continued to rise in Europe, increasing two points to 79. Confidence held steady in Asia-Pacific, but fell in the three remaining regions.

As the media landscape evolves, so too do the sources consumers use to find out about new products. Globally, shoppers' reliance on earned media is growing while their attention toward some paid media sources are declining.

Globally, more than six-in-10 respondents (63%) say they like when manufacturers offer new products. But while consumers across the globe are enthusiastic about new products, their purchasing patterns vary widely.

Brand building can be costly and time consuming, so the ability to grow via line extensions—the use of an established product brand for a new item in the same category–can be extremely advantageous. In fact, line extensions are approximately three to four times more common than “new manufacturer” and “new brand” launches combined.

In about four months, we’ll have officially made it to "the future"—at least according to the time-stamp on Doc Brown's DeLorean in the "Back to the Future" movie series. So now that we’re there, what will 2020 look like?

When it comes to taking a risk on a new product purchase, why do consumers choose one product over another? What needs and desires drive new product purchasing, and which attributes are most influential in the path to purchase?

Innovation matters. In the consumer product realm, it can drive profitability and growth, and it can help companies succeed—even during tough economic times. On the opposite side of the sales counter, consumers have a strong appetite for innovation, but they’re increasingly demanding and expect more choice than ever before.

Dr. Robert Heath is a professor at the University of Bath and a pioneer in establishing the value of emotion in advertising. We recently talked to him about emotional resonance, its importance and how it can be used in improving the effectiveness of advertising.

Despite evidence that the rise of digital shopping has become an influential factor in the changing retail landscape, consumer shopping channel preferences continue to shift. A review of sales trends for select FMCG around the world reveal that when it comes to trade channel importance, there is no single answer that’s right for all.

Consumer confidence in Asia-Pacific increased in nine of 14 markets measured by Nielsen in Q1, compared to only three that rose in Q4 2014. Nine markets in the region remained at or above the 100-baseline level of optimism. At 130, India reached its highest level since 2011—up one-point from Q4. Confidence in India has been on the rise for six consecutive quarters.

In Q1, Millennial respondents were more eager to spend—especially those in the 25-29 age range. In fact, their spending intent for holidays/vacations, new clothes and out-of-home entertainment exceeded the global averages by as much 10 percentage points.

Starting the year positively, global consumer confidence saw an increase of one point from fourth-quarter 2014, with an index score of 97. After a slight dip at the end of last year, when all regional confidence scores declined, it was a more upbeat start to the year, as confidence increased slightly or remained stable in every region except Latin America.

Spend more than a few minutes in a conversation with someone in the CPG industry and you’ll almost inevitably find yourself discussing the spiraling cost of trade promotion. In Europe, decent returns on trade promotion spend are increasingly hard to generate. So how can we turn things around?

For retailers, e-commerce is only one part of the digital picture. A complete digital strategy includes interaction at every point along the path to purchase. Digital touch points occur both in and out of stores, and consumers are increasingly using technology to simplify and improve the process.

While the appetite for buying groceries online is at high levels around the world—more than half of global respondents are willing to give it a try—digital natives are leading the charge. These consumers have an unprecedented enthusiasm for—and comfort with—technology, and online shopping is a deeply ingrained behavior.

Imagine a grocery store where you can receive personal recommendations and offers the moment you step in store, your checkout takes seconds and you can pay for groceries without ever taking out your wallet. Sound far-fetched? It’s closer than you think.

From search engines to social networks, people around the globe mostly use electronic devices for three primary purposes: relationship building/maintaining, information gathering and entertainment viewing. But what does the future use of electronic devices look like, and where are the best opportunities for growth?

Advertisers try to make their ads hit home with audiences as much as possible—but there's room for improvement. Investing a little more heavily in determining how much ads resonate and working to improve campaigns accordingly have the potential to dramatically improve overall advertising effectiveness.

Any multinational looking for solid growth should be taking a hard look at India. In 2015, India’s economy will grow faster than China’s for the first time in 16 years. In fact, the IMF forecasts India’s GDP growth to expand by 7.5% this year and next.

We’re living in a world of 24/7 connectivity, accessing our content on our own terms, and we like it that way. Around the globe, 76% of respondents in a Nielsen online survey say they enjoy the freedom of being connected anywhere, anytime. While consumers love this flexibility, it represents a huge challenge for brands and content providers vying for our attention in a fragmented viewing arena.

What traits lead to a strong corporate reputation? Is it thought leadership? A diverse product line? Innovation? Corporate social responsibility efforts? While many are divided on specifics, most would likely agree that reputation is built on a smattering of all of these, along with a few others as well. The one characteristic that might not be as expected, however, is location.

Advertising, although inherently a creative process, offers many opportunities for greater efficiency. Advertising Process Control highlights the many non-creative areas that advertisers, publishers and agencies could and should work to control better to consistently improve their performance across advertising campaigns.

Advertising Process Control is an advanced state to achieve. Before you can start managing your advertising production process, you need to accurately assess where your organization is on the Advertising Process Control continuum.

Reliable genius is what you really want from your advertising. Why aren't you getting it? Probably because you don't take your advertising production process as seriously as you take many of the other processes in your company.

People who are more informed, engaged and active when it comes to social and business issues around the world are increasingly inquisitive and knowledgeable about the companies they choose to buy from. In fact, there are signs that they’ve never been more interested in the reputation of companies they do business with.

If we know that consumers are engaging more with brands that are going green, producing sustainable products and giving back, do we have insight into which causes resonate the most? And are there discernible preferences between men and women? The short answer is yes.

While global sentiment about personal finances and the costs of living has been trending up for about two years now, men and women aren’t exactly on the same page when it comes to what’s in their pockets. Generally speaking, women see a bright side, but men are seeing an even brighter side.

Digital audience measurement is getting better: measurers are on the lookout for “fraudulent” views, are working to include only “viewable” impressions, and are measuring what percentage of people reached by a campaign actually belong to the group the advertiser was paying for. So what’s next?

Half of consumers around the world say they’re actively trying to lose weight, and 75% of them plan to achieve that goal by changing their diet. But the road to good health isn’t always paved with good intentions. So do desires materialize where it counts—at the point of sale?

Despite our best intentions to eat healthily, the contents of our shopping carts don’t always align with our objectives. And when we look around the globe, not everyone places health attributes atop their list of important considerations when they shop for food.

We’ve just completed a year of transformation in the retail industry, and looking at 2015, it looks like change will remain constant. But change brings opportunity, even within the familiar. Where to begin? Look to the shelf.

The Baby Boomer generation continues to play a major role in the housing market, as well as the U.S. economy more generally. Older households are less likely to move and purchase homes, but their sheer size and relative wealth means this generation will account for $1 out every $4 spent on new home purchases or rent in the next five years.